Olympus PEN E-PL8 Unboxing and First Impression

So a few weeks ago I was about to order the Olympus PEN E-PL7, my dream camera! After I tweeted about it someone replied telling me the new one was about to be released. Twitter is so useful sometimes! I decided to wait and pre-order the new model, and I was super excited! Last week it finally arrived and I couldn’t wait to open up the package and film my unboxing video.

I wasn’t surprised when I opened the box it was delivered in to find a simple yet stylish white Olympus PEN box! Now let’s move on to whats inside the box… thats the important part right!?

Inside the box you get the standard USB cable, charger and battery, neck strap and all the paperwork, and if you order it with the kit lens you also get the stunning 14-42mm pancake lens. Oh, and let’s not forget that gorgeous camera!

Together with the camera I also ordered a 45mm f1.8 lens, perfect for outfit photos with a small depth of field and lots of lovely blur to make things pop! It’s a must-have sense.

So, what’s so good about this new E-PL8? Well surprisingly there’s not too much difference spec wise between the 7 and the 8. They have instead heavily focussed on improvements to the design of this new camera. It has a slightly more rounded body and a smaller and more minimal front grip. It also comes in different colours than the E-PL7, including the gorgeous white! I love the vintage vibe to this camera, and it’s also the perfect size to take out and about with me. It’s really a beautiful thing to use and wear.

I’m planning on doing a blog post in a few months time once I’ve used the camera more, however I wanted to do this blog post just to share with you my initial thoughts so far. I don’t think I’ll be doing much vlogging on the PEN as it’s quite heavy and more bulky than my Canon G7X, however I’ll talk more about that in another blog post I am currently planning.

One thing I love about this camera is that you can connect it up to your iPhone, preview what the lens is seeing, focus and shoot. It’s perfect for when you’re on your own and need to take an outfit photo or make sure you’re in focus while filming. The screen is really flexible and can flip for selfies or pull out to help with the perfect flat-lay. It’s also really easy to grab a photo wirelessly from the camera when you’re on the go if you want to quickly Instagram it!

I also love the accessories that Olympus have designed. I already have my eye on the leather shoulder bag to protect it when I’m out and about, however it’s pretty expensive so that’s one I’ll be saving up for!

Do you have an Olympus PEN? If so, let me know in the comments and tell me what you like about it and if you’ve got any tips! I’d love to know how you protect yours when you’re out and about, or whether you just throw it in your handbag! I just don’t want to end up damaging mine!